NYIAS: 2009 Ford Flex

[mustang84]

2009 FORD FLEX: AN ALL-NEW FULL-SIZE CROSSOVER REDEFINES THE JOURNEY FOR THE AMERICAN FAMILY

(More pics further down)

* Bold Design Inside and Out: New Ford Flex full-size crossover is the first vehicle of its kind with a bold design, striking interior and seven-passenger seating for families.

* Cool Features: Interior refrigerator, second-row footrests, Ford Sync™ in-car communications and entertainment system, capless fueling, a 2,300-song personal juke box, programmable ambient interior “mood lighting” and a Multi-Panel Vista Roof™ are among the many customer-inspired innovations.

* Safe and Secure: An available rear back-up camera, s tandard f ront-and-side-seat mounted air bags, three-row Safety Canopy ® side curtain and AdvanceTrac ® with RSC ® (Roll Stability Control) offer the safety and security customers demand for their families.

* Powerful and Confident: An award-winning 3.5-liter V-6 engine, fuel-efficient 6-speed transmission and available intelligent all-wheel-drive provide powerful and confident road manners.

* On Sale Next Year: The 2009 Ford Flex goes on sale in the summer of 2008, joining the Edge and Taurus X in Ford’s popular crossover lineup.

MORE INFO

[Intrepidation]

I'd like to see larger/better photos.

[mustang84]

BON's page is being a bitch and not letting me download the photos, but here's one that was on the main page.

Link to the article and photos:

http://www.blueovalnews.com/index.php?cate...2_articleid=523

[Drew Dowdell]

keep nudging towards superchief styling ford.... you'll get there eventually

[CSpec]

Wow, it's much bigger than I thought. The interior looks quite nice, but I'm not sure the styling will go over well.

[Chris_Doane]

Here are some more pics:

[sciguy_0504]

LOVE IT. By far the best vehicle in Ford's stable.

Edit: Amazing, beautiful, unique, (should be a big) hit

Edit II:

Details include tweed-like fabric for the base-level Flex SE’s seats, with inserts in a miniature houndstooth.

Class-exclusive refrigerator, mounted between the second-row captain’s chairs. Unlike competitors’ systems that merely keep cold beverages cool, the Flex’s available compressor-driven refrigerator can cool up to seven 12-ounce cans, four half-liter bottles or two 20-ounce bottles from room temperature to 41 degrees in just more than two-and-one-half hours. That’s 40 percent faster than a standard home refrigerator.

Edited April 4, 2007 by sciguy_0504

[aaaantoine]

So... Is this some sort of Lambda competitor?

[Northstar]

I will have to see the exterior in person. In a couple shots it looks fine but in most it looks ugly. The interior looks good, but not as good as the Acadia. I'd like to see what the volume model looks like, too, not just the upscale model.

[Intrepidation]

Wow that interior is very nice and it looks huge! The exterior is quite handsome too...and even the wheels look good.

[Chris_Doane]

So... Is this some sort of Lambda competitor?

More/less yea. Though it's probably more aimed at the Asian/DCX minivans.

[Cory Wolfe]

Well, seems like Ford really put an effort into it. I just... can't see it selling well. I mean, it's styled like a tall, boxy 80's station wagon. I can't see minivan buyers nor crossover buyers really choosing this over either.

[Camino LS6]

I'm going to need to see this one in the real world before I really know what I think of it.

My initial impression is favorable and it seems to have found a unique spot in the current world of automotive design. I love how everyone is dancing around the design of a traditional station wagon yet keeping it at arm's length, this seems to be one of the more successful recent efforts in that direction. I see a stretched and upsized Mini wagon here, yet it has a very Ford style to its boxiness.

I think I like it.

[Ravenfreak13]

It's ok....I feel like the back is from an 80's pickup though

[FAPTurbo]

I'll have to see it up close. It is different, and I'm happy Ford took a chance on its styling.

But people these days are bland and boring. I see too many grey Toyota Highlander's on the road and too few red Dodge Magnum's. This could look too bold for families.

[Satty]

I like it and I dont know why.

[Drew Dowdell]

me too....

but should have the name Colony Park.... ya know.. to fit in the the Taurus and Escort naming scheme.

[Camino LS6]

me too....

but should have the name Colony Park.... ya know.. to fit in the the Taurus and Escort naming scheme.

Nope. Should be Country Squire. :AH-HA_wink:

[Drew Dowdell]

Nope. Should be Country Squire. :AH-HA_wink:

Doh! :duh:

[Member55]

People who never considered Ford before will be buying these like there is no tomorrow.

[Flybrian]

I like it. I really do. However, it has the worst name of any vehicle in recent history. Worse than the Isuzu Hombre, which translates to "I bought a 5-speed Man because I like to feel the stick."

[Chris_Doane]

Worse than the Isuzu Hombre, which translates to "I bought a 5-speed Man because I like to feel the stick."

OK, Cory. Find one of these cars and then, yes, I will buy you a car.

[sciguy_0504]

I like it. I really do. However, it has the worst name of any vehicle in recent history. Worse than the Isuzu Hombre, which translates to "I bought a 5-speed Man because I like to feel the stick."

I agree, the name sucks. It's not as luxurious as the car is, IMO. "County Spire" or "Fairlane" are much better. "Flex" sounds cheap.

[Flybrian]

Yeah, too add, 'Flex' makes me think of a B-segment 5-door sub-Focus car.

[Cory Wolfe]

OK, Cory. Find one of these cars and then, yes, I will buy you a car.

Haha... really?

[Intrepidation]

The name is horribly stupid...why not just call it Fairlane? I liked that name...this one blows but the vehicle itself is good.

[Chris_Doane]

Few more Flexlane pics:

[BrewSwillis]

Love the vehicle....hate the name. They will probably change it to FLX350 in a year, and then back to Windstar a year later....so no big deal.

Don't they kind of already have a Flex?:

Limited-edition 2008 Ford Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition

[deftonesfan867]

I WANT to like it......but it really does have some very old school (boring in this case) styling to it. Interior is VERY nice though and much better than Ford's current offerings.

Edited April 4, 2007 by deftonesfan867

[turbo200]

I think it's a big success. They hit a market that is completely untouched. The interior is fabulous and well executed; not a rare thing for Ford, but this one seems to have detailing and quality that previous efforts have lacked. The exterior is what will count here; it's pretty great, though I don't like that I feel that it's lost character and charm since the concept. It seems to have been Fusion-ized a little too much.

[DetroitNut90]

Hot damn, this is a Ford?! I love it...this is the first bold move Ford's made since the Fusion.

If they can make their cars look this well-executed, I think there's hope for them yet.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

To be honest, I really like it. It has an attention to detail I haven't seen in a Ford vehicle since ... well, ever. The interior looks very expensive and very luxurious and the headlamps have this odd detailing that's very interesting to look at.

I do, however, hate the white roof. I hope body color is an option. This is something that is best left not a trend among automotive design.

If future efforts from Ford have this kind of detail and design, and are competitive as this product is, then things might just turn around for them. But they have to forget everything they established in the '90s and quit rechristening cars with ancient, brittle, prehistoric names first.

Now, Ford, bring the Interceptor concept to market, name intact, to kill off both the Taurus and Crown Victoria with revised front-end styling. That's the next logical step.

[Chris_Doane]

They hit a market that is completely untouched.

Well they haven't hit anything just yet. The Flex does not going into production until March of 2008. Assuming there are no problems between now and then.

I know Ford needed some good news out there ASAP, but still, no on can buy it for a year.

[vrazzhledazzle]

I like the skylights/sunroofs or whatever and the interior

Seems to have just as much versatility as a minivan and I would certainly take it over previous Ford 'minivan'

not a huge fan of the exterior tho

[pow]

OMFG THIS IS GORGEOUS! I love it... especially the whole modern/retro American vacation concept.

The flat-panel second generation keypad sounds interesting...

[ocnblu]

I like this. The name doesn't fit though. The look is pure americana, but the name is science fiction... doesn't fit.

[Chris_Doane]

The flat-panel second generation keypad sounds interesting...

Oh I totally forgot about that part. They showed us that at the Ford preview and it is interesting! The deal with that is *non-disclosure agreement* and then it just *non-disclosure agreement*

Meh....well....it is very cool anyway. You'll like it.

[Intrepidation]

Here's the concept for comparison...

I liked it's front end better...but overall this vehicle is great and shows Ford has some balls after all.

[Northstar]

The more pics I see the more impressed I am. I still say the Acadia is better though.b

[CaddyXLR-V]

Scion makes a full size crossover now?

I will have to disagree with everyone and say this is one of the ugliest Fords in recent times.

[SuperSport623]

i dont know how... but for some reason.. i like it! i wanna see it in black with a black grille!

[bowtie_dude]

SO happy to see Ford ditching that horrible corporate stereo they've been slapping in EVERY vehicle.

[Igor2]

I do, however, hate the white roof. I hope body color is an option. This is something that is best left not a trend among automotive design.

The standard roof is body-colored. Options include white or silver roof.

The next step for Ford is 1) new F150, 2) MCE Mustang 3) MCE Fusion 4) MKS 5) B-car They will all be out by this time next year ..

Interceptor has to wait for now - ford has a product invasion on their hands - even more in the year after that: 1) all new Explorer 2) all new Taurus 3) all new Focus

Igor

[Chris_Doane]

The next step for Ford is 1) new F150, 2) MCE Mustang 3) MCE Fusion 4) MKS 5) B-car They will all be out by this time next year ..

Eh, no.

(And I can say that from non-ford preview infomation)

[mustang84]

Now that I can see the full-size pics, all I can say is....FINALLY! The interior is beautiful, the exterior is entirely unique (and BOLD like it should be). The detailing is spot-on. I spent 5 minutes just looking at that picture of the gauge cluster. This will do very well for Ford.

[Dragon]

They're really getting a lot of mileage out of those steering wheel buttons.

[C.H.U.D.]

I like it. This will do well in the trendy states. Even though it's not a woody, it says "surfer wagon" to me.

[Sixty8panther]

What an ugly lookig toaster.

It should be called xB-XXL but I guess Flex is lame enough as is.

[Drew Dowdell]

and there is going to be a Lincoln version of this?

[Igor2]

and there is going to be a Lincoln version of this?

yes, but will look nothing like the Flex.

Igor